Let's grab some cmos chips and connect them in ways their creators never dreamed. Redefine what music/art is in the process my fellow geeks. I hope these ramblings offer some fun ways on making cool sounds for effects or full blown musical pieces. Now go on, multiply!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Adding Effects to the Lunetta

One of the most satisfying feelings comes when you have a few modules under your belt and you start recording or jamming with your new 'instrument". Even more satisfying, is when you start adding effects to the mix. Enter effects pedals!

What works well with our machines:

Delay/Reverb

Phasors

Chorus

Tremolo

Overdrive, fuzz, and distortion pedals often have a less noticeable vibe at the output in my tests but your mileage may vary. I have had some success using a fuzz to square up a weak signal; a current project that involves mic input is calling me back to the bread board!

One of my favorite pedals is delay. This type of effect really open up the possibilites in how you "play" your lunetta. When looking for one, look for long delay times or at least one that can be modded to give longer repeats.

My second choice is my trusty MXR Phase 90. The best way I can describe it: chewy! Seriously, this effect adds a ton of character to these square waves.

Thirdly, a wah wah pedal is essentially a bandpass filter that's adjustable with your foot of course. Sweeping from low to high easily allows for more expression during jam sessions. Extra bonus points: we don't have to dig into a lot of theory to achieve filtering effects. ( We'll discuss some simple voltage controlled filter concepts in the near future though).